Gujarat High Court Grants 6-Month Interim Bail to Asaram Bapu on Medical Grounds

The Gujarat High Court on Thursday granted six months of interim bail to self-styled godman Asaram Bapu on medical grounds in connection with a 2013 rape case. The relief was approved by a division bench of Justices Ilesh J Vora and R T Vachhani, who clarified that the bail is restricted solely to medical treatment and does not affect his life sentences in the two rape cases he has been convicted in.

Asaram Bapu’s counsel, senior advocate Devadutt Kamat, argued that his client suffers from multiple health complications, including heart disease, hypertension, hypothyroidism, anaemia, and gastrointestinal disorders, which require specialized medical attention unavailable in prison. The court was informed that the 83-year-old had recently undergone treatment in Delhi, following the Rajasthan High Court’s earlier suspension of his sentence on similar medical grounds.

The controversial godman was first convicted in April 2018 by a Jodhpur court and sentenced to life imprisonment for raping a minor at his ashram in 2013. In 2023, he was handed another life sentence by a Gujarat court for a separate rape case filed in Gandhinagar. Both convictions have been upheld by higher courts. Despite multiple prior bail pleas being rejected, the latest order was granted after new medical reports were submitted, prompting reconsideration by the bench.

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Opposing the plea, senior advocate B B Naik, who represented the rape survivor, argued that the certificates presented did not indicate any life-threatening condition and accused Asaram of attempting to misuse his medical condition. “Last time, I said that he wants to tour India. Today, he seeks treatment. There is no need to grant temporary bail,” Naik contended. The Gujarat government, however, maintained that if certain medical treatments were not available in Rajasthan, he could be shifted to a facility within Gujarat for care.

The court imposed strict conditions on Asaram Bapu’s release, prohibiting him from holding religious gatherings, delivering discourses, or engaging in any public activity. He will remain under constant police supervision and is required to report regularly to local authorities. The interim bail is aimed strictly at ensuring medical treatment, with the court emphasizing that his sentences remain fully in effect.

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